Fireproofing construction.



,200. P'ATBNTED' JUNE 2, 1903.

W. P. WILMOTH. FIREPROOFING CONSTRUCTION.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 10, 1902.

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FIREPROOFING CONSTRUCTION.

APPLIUATIOH FILED MAY 10. 1902.

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III a fu E Kw \N\ \N \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\h M N\ N mu INVENTOR ATTORNEYS I Patented June 2, 19035 ATENT OFFICE.

VVILIIIAM FRANKLIN WILMOTH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO CEMETAL FIREPROQFING COMPANY,

PORATION OF NEW YORK.

on NEW YORK, N. Y., A COR- FIREPROOFING CONSTRUCTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 730,200, dated June 2, 1903.

Application filed May 10 1902. $eria1No.106 672. (No model.) K 7 To all whmn it may concern.-

WILMOTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fireproofing Construction; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in fireproofing constructions for the floors and ceilings of buildings and the like; and it consists in novel means of supporting a floor and ceiling from walls or floor-beams, in novel means of supporting a floor of concrete or other plastic material while the same is being laid and is setting Without the use of temporary centering, and in various other novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter pointed out.

The fireproofing constructions now commonly used usually comprise a body of concrete or similar material which may be ap 'v plied in a plastic condition and a series of metal supports therefor, the whole suspended from fioor-beams,which are themselves oftentimes embedded in the concrete.

set the centering being moved to another. part of the building and the operation repeated.

The expense of this centeringis considerable,

as is the expense of erecting it and taking it down and moving it to another part of the building, and there is a considerable waste of material. Also the laying of the floors can only progress slowly, since the work must proceed intermittently unless a very large quantity of centering material is used. Instead of employing wood centering woven wire or simi: lar material is often placed between the floorg In order to insure good work, it has been found 'neces p I beams to support. the concrete; but since the Be it known that I, WILLIAM FRANKLIN- concrete works through the meshes of such material to a considerable extent and since the woven wire tends to bag when the concrete is rammed in laying it plaster cannot be laid directly on the under surface of the floor thus formed Without great waste of material.

The objects of my invention are to avoid the use of false centering; to en pport'the concrete or other plastic material in an improved manner while it is being laid and while it is setting; to insure the formation of a good under surface upon which plaster may be laid directly; to permit the making of the metal parts of the construction in" standard sizes and the erection thereof without fitting, bending, or other change; to protect the metal parts from the action of fire or water; to avoid the use of combustible furring-strips when an air-chamber is to be provided be-, tween the ceiling and the concrete body above, to cause the concrete to dry rapidly, and to make the whole construction strong, simple, and relatively inexpensive.

I will now proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain forms of tireproofing construction embodying my invention are illustrated, and will then point out the novel features in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a section of a floor and ceiling on a plane transverse of the floor-beams, the construction shown belaid directly against the under surface of the center blocks. Fig. 7 is adetail section showing an alternative method of supporting the ends of the center-block supports. Fig. 8 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 1, showing 4 how the concrete filling may be interlocked with the center blocks and brought into contact with the suspenders. Fig. 9 is a detail section on a plane at right angles to Fig. 8, illustrating the construction of that figure. Fig. 10 is a section illustrating how a flooring may be supported from side walls without the use of floor-beams.

Referring now to the drawings, and at first to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 thereof, the said figures show floor-beams 1 1 of the usual I form. From the tops of these beams are hung suspender-rods 2, the ends of said rods being hooked over the tops of the floorbeams. These rods are notstraight throughout, butincline downwardly from the ends toward a central portion 3, (indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1,) which is substantially straight. The length of this straight central section may be from onethird to threefourths the distance between the floor-beams, though I do not limit myself to any particular length of such section. The suspenderrods are depressed in this manner both in order that the concrete body may not pro ject above the top of the floor-beams and in order that the inclined portions of said suspenders may act efficiently as tension members in carrying the weight of the concrete body and the objects supported thereon. This construction also permits ready and accurate calculation of the strains imposed on different portions of the suspenders, the central portion of each suspender being substantially a beam uniformly loaded and support ed at each end, the inclined end portions being substantially simple tension members.

The suspenders 2 carry T-iron supports 4 for the hereinafter-mentioned center blocks. These supports are shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4. While they are in form T-irons, the central or web portion is preferably double, as shown, being substantially of U section, so that these supports may fit over the suspender-rods, as shown in Fig. 1, said supports being slit on top near their ends for a short distance to permit the passage of the inclined portions of the suspender-rods.

The flanged supports 4 carry center pieces 5, resting upon the flanges of adjacent supports 4. These center pieces may be of any suitable construction; butI have shown them as consisting of blocks of terra-cotta or other suitable light non-combustible material perforated to decrease the weight and to facilitate the circulation of air during the drying of the concrete. These center blocks may be grooved at the sides, as shown, so that they embrace and substantially inclose on the lower side the supports 4, thereby protecting the same from water and flame.

The center pieces 5 form substantially a continuous surface for the reception of the filling 6,0f concrete or other suitable plastic material. This concrete or plastic material may therefore be laid directly upon the center blocks as soonas the latter have been put in place.

Before laying the concrete, however, the spaces between the center blocks and around the flanged supports 4 are preferably filled with a liquid cement, thereby causing the center blocks to adhere to the metal. Such adhesion makes the entire construction a beam of which the suspenders 2 and flanged supports 4 are tension members and the concrete is a compression member.

To support the ends of the flanged members 4, I may turn these ends downward, as indicated in Fig. 1, so that they rest upon the flanges of the floor-beams. The lower sides of the floor-beams may be protected in any suitable manner. I have shown for this purpose wire lath 7 and plaster 8; but any other suitable material for protecting the lower portions of these floor-beams may be used. For example, the lower portions of the beams maybe incased in concrete or other suitable plastic material which may be carried up high enough to support the ends of these flanged supports 4, as shown in Fig. 7.

When the floor-beams are relatively small, (this being usually the case when such beams are set close together,) the bottoms of the center pieces will usually be substantially flush with the protecting material surrounding the lower portions of these floor-beams, and the plaster of the ceiling maybe laid directly on the lower faces of the center blocks; but when the floor-beams used are large it is not ordinarily necessary to make the concrete filling of such depth that the center blocks are flush with the bottoms of the floorbeams. In such case an air-chamber will he formed between the center blocks and the ceiling below, and to support this ceiling the center-piece supports 4 may have spacingpieces 9. The wire lath 10, upon which the plaster is laid, may be connected to and supported by these spacing-pieces. This construction avoids the use of furring-strips of combustible material which heretofore have been used when an air-chamber is left between the concrete and the ceiling.

If desired, in order to insure thorough adhesion of the concrete filling to the suspenders 2 and flanged supports 4 substantially triangular spaces may be left between the adjacent center blocks, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the faces of said blocks being inclined for that purpose, which spaces will be filled by the concrete, and the webs of the supports 4 may have apertures 11 at intervals to permit the concrete to come into actual contact with the suspenders. In this way the concrete filling constituting the compression member of the floor becomes thoroughly united to the suspenders constituting the tension member of the floor.

Upon the concrete filling sleepers 12 for the wood flooring 13 may be laid in the ordinary,

manner. The method of support of the concrete filling by the depressed suspenders and the center blocks carried on the flanges of the supports 4, themselves carried by said suspenders, permits su fficient depression of: the suspenders at the center without crowning the concrete filling between the floor-beams, so that the inclined endportions of these suspenders are utilized efliciently as tension members. The concrete filli ng rnay therefore be flush with the tops of-the floor-beams.

It will be noted that the construction of these suspenders and of the supports tis such that they may be manufactured in standard sizes and lengths and the suspenders bent to the proper form and the supports 4: placed thereon at the factory and that in erecting'these parts it is necessary merelyto spring the suspenders slightly in order to hook them over the floor-beams. The center blocks may then be laid on the supports 4, and then the concrete filling may be appliedimmediately. Because of the air circulation permitted by the perforations through the center blocks the concrete will dry rapidly, and it is possible to lay the ceiling below even before this concrete is completely dry without discoloration ofthe plaster.

-In many cases-as, for example, in dwelling-houses-it isnot necessary to use floorbeams in this construction, the suspenderrods being secured to angles 15, fastened to the side walls. There is no danger of these angles pulling out, because the concrete filling abutting against theml'orms a compression spacing piece. This is illustrated in Fig. 10. p

It is obvious that my invention is susceptible of many variations and modifications without departing from the principles of construction herein set forth, and I do not limit myself to the particular details of construc tion and arrangement described. What I claim is-- 1. The combination, with a series of suspenders suitably supported, secured against tension at the ends and constituting tension members, and flanged center-piece-supporting bars arranged parallel to said suspenders and carried thereby, of center pieces resting upon the flanges of said bars. 7

2. The combination, with a series of suspenders suitably supported, secured against tension at the ends and constituting tension members, and flanged center-piece-supporting bars arranged parallelto said suspenders and carried thereby, of center pieces resting uponthe flanges of said bars, and a bodyof concrete or other plastic material supported thereby.

herein illustrated and 3. The combination, with aseries of sus-v penders suitably supported, and flanged center-piece-supporting bars carried thereby, of center blocks resting upon the flanges of said supports, said blocks having grooves which receive the said flanges, and inclose both upper andrlower sides thereof.

4. The combination, with a series of suspenders suitably supported, secured against tension at the ends and constituting tension bars of U -section at the center or web, fitting over and supported by said suspenders, and center pieces supportedtherebyu '5. The combination, with aseries of'snspenders suitably-supported at the ends and depressed at and near the .center, of flanged supports of U-section at the center or web, fitting over and supported by the central portions of said suspenders, said supports being slotted to'permit the passage ofthe uprising portions of said suspenders, and centerpieces supported on the flanges of said supports.

6. The combination, with a series of suspenders suitably supported 'atthe; 6116553116.

depressed at and near the-center, 0f flanged supports of U-section at the center or web, fitting over and supported by the central portions of said suspenders, said supports being slotted to permit the passage of theuprising portions of said suspenders, center pieces,

supported on the flanges of said supports, and a body of concrete or other plastic mate'- rial supported thereby. Y

'7. The combinationwith main supportingbeam's, of suspenders hung therefrom, se-

cured against tension at the ends andconsti tuting tension members,,flanged supporting.- bars carried by said suspenders, and center pieces resting upon the flanges of saidsupports and supported thereby. I

8. The combination with main supporting-q beams, of suspenders hun therefrom; .secured against tension at the ends and constituting tension memberafianged supportingbarscarried by said suspenders, centerpieces resting upon thefianges of said bars and supported, thereby, and a body'of cement or other plastic material supported bysaid center pieces. 1

9. The combination with main supportingbeams, of suspenders hung therefrom, center.- piece-supporti'ng bars supported'from such suspenders in the. center and having their ends supportedfrom the main supporting-- beams, and center pieces.

10. The combination with main supporting-V beams, of suspenders hung therefrom and.

depressed at the center, center-pieeersupport ing bars carried thereby and havingztheir ends supported from-said main supporting beams, and center pieces.- 1

11. The combination with main supporting beams, of suspenders hung therefrornnand;

depressed at the center, center-piece -suppo.rt-. ing bars supported at the center: by said-susf penders and having their ends bent downward and resting upon said supporting-beams, and center pieces. a

12. {The combination with it 13. Thecombination w1th a'series of penders suitably.supported,and center-piece supports fitting over-and carried by said susseries. of -.sus-' penders, and centerpiece-supporting. barspenders, and having orifices through which orifices of said supportsinto engagement with portions of the concrete filling may project said suspenders. 10 into engagement with said suspenders, of In testimony whereof I allix my signature center pieces carried by said supports, and a in the presence of two witnesses.

5 body of concrete or other plastic material WILLIAM FRANKLIN WILMOTH.

supported thereby and projecting through Witnesses: spaces between said center pieces ,into en- 11. M. MARBLE,

gagelnent with said supports and through the A. II. PERLES. 

